HomeMy WebLinkAbout1957-04-08PLANNING BOARD MEETING
I
April 8, 1957
A regular meeting of the Planning Board was held
in the Town Engineer's Room, Town Office Building on
Monday, April 81 1957 at 7:40 p.m. Present were Chair-
man Grindle, Messrs. Abbott, Adams, Burnell and Soule,
members of the Board; and Mr. Snow, Planning Director.
It was moved, seconded and unanimously voted that
Mr. Adams be temporary chairman, Mr. Grindle being de-
layed by another appointment.
The Board approved the minutes of the April 2, MINUTES
1957 meeting.
It was moved, seconded and unanimously voted SECRETARY
that Mrs. Baker be employed as the Board's permanent
secretary on a part-time basis, her salary to be paid
out of personal services funds, and not general ex-
penses. It was decided that she should be compensated
at the rate of $1.67 per hour.
Mr. Grindle came to the meeting at 7:55 p.m. at FORD A
which time the Board considered the following Form A
' applications for Planning Board jurisdiction:
#57-37, submitted April 3, 1957, by Marion J.
Ryan, John E. Ryan, Atty., plan entitled "Plan
of Land in Lexington -Mass." Scale: 1" a 401,
dated Mar. 26, 1957, Miller and Nylander, Civil
Engr's & Surveyors -Lexington, Mass.
#57-38, submitted on April 39 1957, by Richard
C. Long, plan entitled "A ComRiled Plan of Land
in Lexington -Mass." Scale: 1 s 40', dated Sept.
8, 1956, Miller and N lander, Civil Engr's &
Surveyors -Lexington, Mass.
#57-39, submitted on April 4, 1957 by C. Robert
Campbell, plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lexing-
ton, Mass." Scale: 1 in. - 40 ft. dated March
30, 1957, Fred A. Joyce, Surveyor, Belmont, Mass.
#57-40, submitted on April 8 1957 by A. Morris
Kobrick, Trustee of the Meryi Robert Trust, plan
entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington -Masse" Scale:
1" - 401, dated Mar 21, 1957• Miller and Nylander,
Civil Engr's & Surveyors -Lexington, Mass.
#57-41, submitted on April 8, 1957 bDavid
entitled
Rix, by Alfred P. Tropeano, Atty., plan
#Subdivision of Land Court Case No. 18315 Land in
Lexington Mass." Scale: 1" 7 40', dated Apr. '
2, 1957s Miller and Nplander, Civil Engrfs &
Surveyors -Lexington, Mass
#57-420 submitted April 8, 1957 by Harold E.
Stevens for Town of Lexington, plan entitled
"Plan of Land Showing Sewer & Water Easement
in Lexington -Mass.," Scale: i" - 401, dated
Apr. 3, 1957, Richard J. Gayer, Town Engineer.
#57-43, submitted April 8, 1957 by Harold E.,
Stevens for the Town of Lexington, plan en-
titled "Plan of Land Showing Elementary School
Sites on Grove Street in Lexington Mass.,"
Scale: 1" • 401, dated April 4, 1957, Richard
J. Gayer, Town Engineer.
It was moved, seconded and unanimously
VOTED: That the plans accompanying applica-
tions #57-37 through #57-43 be signed
bearing the endorsement "Lexington
Planning Board approval under Subdi-
vision Control Law not required."
BILLS It was moved, seconded, and voted, Mr. Adams '
not voting, that the following bills presented for
payment be approved: Mass. Fed. of Planning Boards,.
dues for 1957-430.00• Graphic Reproductions, white
prints --$1.20; Bruce i. Howlett, professional ser-
vices, period ending April 7, 1957-4157.00; Louise
M. Baker, secretarial services, period ending Apr.
5, 1957--$25-00; Minute -man Publications, advertis-
ing --*4.90.
CAT ROCK Mr. Adams called the Board's attention to an
RESERVATION April 3, 1957 letter from the Waltham Chamber of Com-
merce in regard to a dinner meeting to be held on
April 15, 1957 to give consideration to the 'problems
involved in the proposed Cat Rock Reservation, this
being a legislative proposal to create a state reser-
vation in Weston, Waltham and Lincoln on land west of
the Cambridge Water Basin. Mr. Adams who planned to
attend the meeting was authorized to speak for the
Planning Board and to state that the Board was in
favor of such a proposal and that consideration be
given to extension of the proposed reservation into
Lexington.
BOARD OF Taken under consideration was the petition of '
APPEALS George A. Mahoney for permission to operate a truck-
ing and express business at 927 Massachusetts Ave.,
MAHONEY said property being in an R 2 district. Read to,
approved by the Board, and signed by the ChairrmAn
' was a letter dated April 8, 1957 addressed to the
Board of Appeals in which it was stated that the
Planning Board decided to go on record as opposing
the granting of the Mahoney petition. It was stated
that in the opinion of the Board there is insufficient
room on the property numbered 927 Massachusetts Ave.
to park trucks and passenger cars of employees of the
business; that upon visiting the property on a number
of occasions it was found that some of these cars and
trucks were parked on Massachusetts Ave. in front of
the house numbered 927; that in the Board's opinion
this practice neither preserved and- .increased the
amenities of the neighborhood in which the house is
located nor lessens the congestion on Massachusetts
Avenue; that during the Planning Board traffic survey
conducted on Oct. 25, 1956, 12,132 cars and trucks
passed by this house between the hours of 7 a.m. and
7 p.m.• and that with the limiting of access onto
Route 2 at Watertown Street this traffic will no doubt
increase.
The letter concluded by stating that based on the
information set forth above and the visits to the
property and the neighborhood, in the Planning Board's
' opinion granting of the permission requested would not
be in the public interest because the proposed use of
the land would increase the congestion on Massachusetts
Avenue, would overcrowd the property at #927 Massachu-
setts Avenue, would not conserve the value of the lands
and buildings, would discourage the most appropriate
use of land, and would not preserve and increase the
amenities of the neighborhood.
It was decided to hold a special meeting on
April 10 in the Planning Board office to discuss
prepared data assembled from the traffic surveys
conducted under the direction of the Board. At
this time it was decided to approve Leeland Con-
struction Co.'s application for approval of defini-
tive plan entitled "Robinson Hill Section 3^, such
approval b eing contingent_ upon submission to the
Board of a bond made out in proper form and in the
proper amount.
Read to the Board was John F. MacNeil's April
5, 1957 letter inquiring for information concerning
rumors that the Richards, Swenson, and Hayden prop-
erties along Route 2 were to be rezoned for commercial
use. Mr. Grindle was authorized to telephone a reply
' to Mr. MacNeil.
The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
Lev i G. Burnell, Jr.
Clerk
ROBINSON
HILL
SEC. 3